Rotatable rake and conditioner for lawns



July 13, 1954 E. EVANS ROTATABLE RAKE AND CONDITIONER FOR LAWNS Filed Dec. 14, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 xvi M &

INVENTOR Eli/4gb Z. EVA/vs,

ATTORNEYS July 13, 1954 E. EVANS ROTATABLE RAKE AND CONDITIONER FOR LAWNS Filed Dec. 14. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR .Ebwkea Z. EVAN-S,

ATTORNEYS Patented. July 13, 1954 OFFICE ROTATABLE RAKE AND CONDITIONER FOR LAWNS Edward L. Evans, Eugene, Oreg.

Application December 14, 1951, Serial No. 261,685

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to lawn maintenance equipment. More particularly, the invention has reference to a lawn rake and conditioner of the rotary type, the construction of the machine being such as to permit its use, when made in a larger size, on pasture lands or other large areas.

Over a period of time, moss tends to appear in a lawn, and forms a mat penetrated by water and fertilizers only with difiiculty. This undesirable condition is aggravated, inmany instances, by the matting of dead grass, this being particularly true with respect to certain types of grass such as creeping bent.

Unless the moss and matted, dead grass are removed periodically from a lawn, water and fertilizers applied thereto tend to run off to a lower level in the lawn. As a result, the lower portions of the lawn receive all the benefits obtained by watering and fertilizing of the grass, causing a spotted condition in which the lawn will appear green in spots and dried up in others.

It will be readily appreciated, therefore, that an annular, thorough raking of lawns is desirable in order to produce a rich and luxuriant growth, this being particularly true with certain types of grasses such as that mentioned above. However, the operation, when performed with a conventional garden rake, is a tedious and time consuming task, and as a result is often omitted to the accompanying detriment of the lawn,

It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide an improved rotary rake and lawn conditioner, which will be adapted, by reason of a novel construction thereof, to rake debris from a lawn and condition the grass in minimum time and without difiiculty.

Another important object is to provide a rotary rake and lawn conditioner as stated including a novelly formed reel adapted for high speed rotation when driven by a suitable engine.

A further important object is to provide a lawn rake of the type stated wherein the reel will be formed with a plurality of elongated bars spaced circumferentially thereabout and ex tending spirally about the axis of rotation of the reel, said bars being provided with radial, widely spaced rake teeth staggered about the reel in an arrangement found particularly eflicientv in the raking up of moss and matted dead grass.

Still another important object is to provide a rotary rake and lawn conditioner which will be so designed as to be capable of manufacture at relatively low cost, and will comprise a minimum of parts so arranged as to promote trouble free operation.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a rotary lawn rake formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

The lawn rake and conditioner formed in accordance with the present invention includes a wheeled frame generally designated [0, said frame being preferably provided with a flat top plate l2 of generally rectangular shape, and disposed horizontally across the upper end of the frame.

Integral or otherwise rigid with the top plate 12, at the opposite sides of said top plate, are depending side plates I4, which are also of rectangular configuration, the side plates M being disposed horizontally at opposite sides of the frame. As may be noted from Figures 3, 5, or 6, the lower front corner of each side plate 14 is cut away angularly as at I6. This is for the purpose of preventing rocks or other obstructions from interfering with the frame during the operation of the device.

For the purpose of reinforcing the frame, I provide front and rear reinforcing bars 18, extending transversely of the frame between the respective side plates l4.

Projecting outwardly from the respective side plates l4, contiguous to the front edges of said side plates, are wheel spindles 20, on which are rotatably mounted ground-engaging wheels 22.

Roller support plates 24 are secured to the back edges of the side plates M, and are provided with rearwardly offset lower ends 26 having openings receiving end 'trunnions provided upon a ground roller 28. The plates 24 are vertically slotted (Figure 5), and fastening elements 36 extend through the slots and through the side plates i4, thus to mount the ground roller 28 for up and down adjustment relative to the supporting frame, thereby to provide a depth regulating means for the rake teeth of the device.

A handle 32 extends rearwardly and upwardly from the supporting frame, saidhandle being bearing plates being disposed against pairs of vertical slots 44 formed in the'side plates; L as-- tening elements 46 extend through the opposite; ends of the respective bearing plates 42, and through the slots 44, thus to mount-' the'bearing plates for vertical adjustment. relative tol'the sup.-- porting frame.

Each bearing plate 42 is provided, intermediate its opposite ends, with an inwardly extending journal or socket 48, the: sockets-' l'fi being coaxiallyi aligned and-receiving. the opposite ends ofza reel shaft 50; Thereel shaft. dfi hasfixedly secured thereto a pair of end plates 52, and a center plate 54 is also fixedlysecured: to the reel shaft; medially: between the cppositeendsiof the shaft. Theplates 52; 5dare'of' circularshape.

The reel includes a plurality of elongatedrake bars 56, these being spaced circumferentially about the'reel' as may bereadily; notedfrom Figure 31 At theiropposite'ends, the rake bars 56fare fixedly secured to'the' end? plates 52 of 'the reel, and: medially between their ends, the: rake-bars are fixedly attached to the center plate, thus toireinforcetheintermediate-portion of the reel.

The rake bars 56 are ,formed of' fiatbar stock, andare'arranged-spirally about" the-"axis of rotation of; the reel:

Integral or otherwise maderigidtwith the. outer longitudinal edge of the respective ralieibars 1 5% are rake teeth 5'3; theiralzesteethifi 'being spaced longitudinally; of: said. bars: Theateeth 5B? are disposed radially of the reel, and project-acutwardly= beyond the outer" longitudinalaedges: of the rake bars substantial distances, vthefout'er or free endsoftherake teeth bein'gipoin'ted asattll.

As? may be noted from Figure. 2; the rakeite'eth of. each' bar. are: spaced; widely: apart, ands are staggered slightly longitudinally of 1 theireel relative: to: the rake: teeth of: the bars-immediately adjacent thereto;

It: shouldbein'otedzat thispointithat theirotary reeleillustrated 21S; rotated at highz'spee'd in: the preferred embodiment of the invention}. and, therefore; is. power: driverr. insther illustratedexample:

Thedriving 'rrreans illustratediinclud'esa driven pulley 62, fixedly secured to one end plate: 52 bytmeans: oi diametrically opposite bolts B4 01 their? equivalents. belt 66: extending upwardly through a suitable openingrformedinxtcp'plate !2' of frame It; belt 66%beingpassed around a small 10111183 558 mounted onxa jack: shaft Ill journaled irrr-a bearing-i sleeve 12 formed upon the=upper end of. a vertically slotted: bearing: plate 14'; The-:bearing'platei i4 is mounted for vertical: adjustment upon an up= standing: bracket 15; the bracket 16 being? pro vided with vertically spaced clamping" bo'lts extending: through the slotted bearing plate i4;

Seouredto; and adapted to' rotate: the jack shaftis: a: large pulley 1 8? around which: is. passed a belt 80, that alsospa-sses-arotmd azsmall pulley 8-2, mounted:uponithashaft of;.an engine fl''i An electricimotor has: been: illustratedzin:the present Driving the pulley" 62' is a instance, but other power means could be employed as well.

In use, operation of the power means 84 is effective to transmit rotatable movement to the rotary wheel, while the structure is being pushed across a lawn. The pointed ends of the rake teeth extend downwardly to a sufiicient extent to engage and rake out moss and matted, dead grass, andlthus are adapted tonapidly clear the lawn of this undesirab1e-debris;--while'at'the same time conditioning the lawn. In this way, a large lawn can be raked and conditioned in a relatively short period of time, without difficulty.

It will be understood that the motor 84 would L be mounted for movement longitudinally of the d'evice,-thusto adjust the tension of the belt at. Additionally, theup and down adjustment of the jack shaft is also adapted to permit tension adjustments of the belts.

Still further, it is believed of importance to notetha't: instead of a belt drive, the device couldbe operated: with equal eiliciency through the mediumof a' sprocket and chain drive; This is; believed to be a sufliciently' obvious modification of the illustrated structurerasxnot.to=require separate illustration in: this application.

During the: use of: the device; rake contacts are obtained: eachhalf inch;, longitudinally of the reel; in the preferred embodiment of the invention, and: as a result; the: complete 'area. of the" lawn is efiicientlyr covered.

It is believed apparent that th'e inventiom is not necessarily confined :to the specifie use. or uses thereof described above, since-lit may be utilized for any purposeto' which'itimay be suite'd; Nor is theinvention. to be necessarily limited: to the: specific construction" illustrated: and described, sin'cesuch; construction: is only intended to? be illustrative ofithe principles of operation and. the means presently. devised: to carry out said principles, it being considered that the r in"- vention comprehends any'minor changes in construction ithat may-"bepermittedwithiir the scope of the'zapp'endedi claims;

What is claimed is:

1.-In a lawn rake, a-wheeledframe-having a top-plate and side plates dependingfromopposit e ends of said top" plate, a rotary-"rake extending between: and journalled on-said'end' plates beneath said 'top plate and having awake-pulley; a'--- motor mounted up'on the top of "said" top plate having a m'otonsha'ft' parallelingtheaxis ofsaid rotary rake and having adrive pulley thereon,

a' fixed standard rising from the top plate -at a point' laterally spaced-'3 fromthe motor shaf t1 said standard being provided with vertically elongated slots; a verticalbearing-plate engaged along-said standard; boltstra'versingthe*bearing plate and the slots 0f the standard, said bearing plate'having an uppenend' liaving a'bearing thereon; a jack shaft journalled'in said bearingand having en'ds'pr'ojecting b'eyond'opposite sides of the bearing, said jack shaft' being parallel to'the'motor shaft, jack shaftpulleys' on the opposite ends of the jack shaft, a first'belt trained' over the motor shaft-pulley and one ofthe jack" shaft pulleys,- and a second belt trained over-"the other jack shaft pulley and-the rotary rake pulley, the said b'earing' platcbeingvertically adjustable relative to: said standard" for simultaneously tightening and' 'loosen'ing said first and second beltss.

2;I-In" a lawnxrake; a wheeled framehaving a: to plate and" side plates depending from on posite ends of said top plate, a rotary rake ex' tending between and joumaled on said end plates beneath said top plate and having a rake pulley, a motor mounted upon the top of said top plate having a motor shaft paralleling the axis of said rotary rake and having a drive pulley thereon, a fixed standard rising from the top plate at a point laterally spaced from the motor shaft, said standard being provided with vertically elongated slots, a vertical bearing plate engaged along said standard, bolts traversing the bearing plate and the slots of the standard, said bearing plate having an upper end having a bearing thereon, a jack shaft journalled in said bearing and having ends projecting beyond opposite sides of the bearing, said jack shaft being parallel to the motor shaft, jack shaft pulleys on the opposite ends of the jack shaft, a first belt trained over the motor shaft pulley and one of the jack shaft pulleys, and a second belt trained over the other jack shaft pulley and the rotary rake pulley, the said bearing plate being vertically adjustable relative to said standard for simultaneously tightening and loosening said first and second belts, said rotary rake having an axial rake shaft having opposed ends, bearing plates in which the ends of the rake shaft are journalled, and bolt and vertical slot means securing said bearing plates to the frame side plates and providing for vertical adjustment of the rotary rake relative to the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 666,689 Phillips Jan. 29, 1901 678,461 Egan July 16, 1901 998,544 Mosher July 18, 1911 2,089,445 Stauffer Aug. 10, 1937 2,525,090 Bott Oct. 10, 1950 

